to ask what activities for teens that cost little or no money

[RB68]

I feel like its very difficult to entertain teens with little or no money - AIBU

What suggestions would you have - this is early teens so we haven't entirely got a couple of Kevinas yet and they do interact with us but we seem mostly to be limited to lots of walking with dogs and are looking for places to go and things to do that can shake things up a bit and take one in particualars mind off things happening in her life right now that are causing severe anxiety.

Would be just South of Doncaster area if people want to mention specific places not just activities

Not sure if you mean one off things or ongoing activities, but Scouts are cheap.

Geocaching

Depending how old they are part time jobs are a good one. Working as a waiter, etc will teach them valuable skills and give them something to do.

If they are time rich but cash poor them volunteering is another option

If its in the budget cycling or another sport is good for taking up a lot of time and keeping fit. Maybe a running club.

What pp said.

My two teens wash cars. Started with the neighbours either side then word got about and they have 12 regular cars they wash at the weekends and a few now-and-again. They earn at least £60 a week between them which after paying for supplies is a decent bit of cash for them to spend

Yes to geocaching or Pokemon go. Just puts a different focus on walks.

What about swimming, memberships are usually fairly reduced for teens?

Guides/scouts can be good, I know you wouldn't be together but to help take minds off.

We play a lot of board games with our teenage relatives - exploding kittens, monopoly etc. Dn likes baking with me so we do that a fair bit, there are some really cost effective recipes on a cooking on a bootstrap so it needn't be expensive. I haven't ever mastered bread but there are reasonable mixes in supermarkets and many find it relaxing.

To be honest you're doing Well if they'll still speak to you!

Canoeing is very cheap near us, so I had a quick google of that.

Are you anywhere near this club? £50 family membership.
www.greenstarcanoeclub.co.uk

Brass band? Ours cost the younger ones £1 a session, with the instrument on free or cheap loan.

We often go to green gyms near us (free outdoor gyms) or hike in the woods. Sometimes we'll go and get a freakshake in a cafe combined with a free activity like visiting a relative. Games like cards against humanity are fab for teenagers (As long as your not a sensitive family).

If either of them are vaguely sporty, Doncaster hockey club runs boys and girls teams. Not sure what their costs are but DS plays for a club they play against regularly. He pays £3 pw training, £5 for a match day (they come round about once a month Sep-Apr) and annual subs are £25. The club will loan a stick. It's all played on astro so they'll already have the right footwear for school PE probably? We find it a really friendly sport whatever your ability.

Our local area does free swimming sessions in local authority pools if they sign up to the system. Set times at weekends but longer in holidays – completely free for under 16. There’s also some free or fairly cheap sessions run by teachers in holidays– doing floats or diving.

The local arts/cinema also does very cheap tickets for films that have been out a while ie for couple of months.

Scouts/Guides have been helpful.

Our area does free Youth service groups - mine liked those for a while. Found them by chance but late found they were on the council website.

Local theatre groups have youth groups - not sure about prices there but I think one group it's fairly cheap.

There's subsides gym membership - though adults need to be with children while they are under 16 in local authority’s leisure centres with gyms. There also a few local sport groups that baseball, local diving club does subsided session in local pools – etc that are looking for more people to join.

We do board games at home.

It's finding where to look for local things.

For more one off events if they are early teens - Primary Times can still be useful.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is free entry though parking is not. Dogs on leads are allowed & there will be xmas music the next couple of weekends.

geocaching is a good idea - one of them has been quite taken with "glamping" ie pod rather than tent but anything with that secret just for us type thing is good.

We actually don't live close to each other at the moment so its tricky with more regular things but will suggest scouts type activity to other Mum as think that may suit if we can get over the its scouts thing - maybe venture scouts would be good. I think it might help with some "poor" influences at the new school.

As some of you have guessed funds are extremely limited (think below the breadline and foodbanks for the moment) and I can't sub both of us etc.

She does have a "job" as such although currently unpaid but helps her to access her hobby which is out of reach at the moment.

She is a bit too early teens for an official job at the mo and the work together car washing wouldn't work as not co-located at the moment, although who knows what the future will bring.

Hockey might also be an option as v sporty & fit. Theatre she might shy from given some anxiety issues but worth suggesting as its something she enjoys although struggles with - thanks

Some kind of outside interest with organisation in built: sports teams, scouts , choir, band.

Something done with a parent: park run.

Make contact with the hockey club. I know ours has a policy that allows them to pick up the annual sub for children where that would be a barrier to joining. They also offer free taster session.

At that age I enjoyed gozing for walks, visit art galleries or museums and, going out for coffee.

I wouldn't let lack of funds stop you considering a sport or activity. I'm treasurer for a local club and if someone approached us explaining they were keen to join but low income family, we would still welcome them on a very reduced/free basis. I think more & more clubs are waking up to the idea that they could be more inclusive and that might mean budget for some funded / free places.

Do they like music? Choirs are usually v cheap, and there are rock choirs etc, not just classical/ church-type music.

Another vote for parkrun, free and fun. They can run without an adult once they are over 12 and there’s events in Doncaster ( sandall park) and Rotherham .

Try one of the cadet forces. They have subs to pay but these are set by the unit (in Sea Cadets anyway) and some will waive these for circumstances as long as kids attend regularly and are committed to being good cadets. They also won't miss out on other courses/camps because there are bursaries that can be applied for. We had a family in my old unit that was struggling but the unit applied for a camp bursary for each of the children every year so they at least went on a camp annually - these were often offshore voyages around the UK coast with opportunity to go to France some times! Some cadets even get bursaries for courses to learn to fly etc. I honestly can't rave about the opportunities enough! But I do only know sea cadets by experience. They take from 10, and have a finger in every pie so to speak with water borne, land (Royal Marine Cadet detachment in some units) and even flying (national scheme).

Air Cadets, cheap monthly subscriptions and lots of camps at weekends and in holidays which are really reasonable and they also send cadets on camps for free if parents are struggling. Our local Air cadets is £11 a month for two evenings per week.

They also often run DofE, our Air Cadets charges £25 for this for the whole thing, compared to School which charge £350.

Some great ideas - thanks people